Conditional Blessings: The Call to Obedience

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I believe God wants to bless his people, do you agree? But many blessings come with conditions, and a lot of times we don't realize that in the church. I like what Paul Carter said: there is a sense in which God's promises are unconditional and that our disobedience will never stop his graciousness or his plans, but there is also a sense in which those promises will be released only through the obedience of God's people. [00:49:05]

It's a very healthy tension on God's blessings, but there's conditions often. I mean, let's just look at salvation: if you call upon the name of the Lord, you will be saved. It's not just universalism where God saves everyone; there's a condition there. And there are many great songs we sing, those songs, and you know, songs such as the new one that's out. [00:84:79]

And that's what I love to be encouraged. I'm encouraged, believe it or not, but often before you encourage, you have to discourage. People have to see their need for a savior, and I get sometimes frustrated because, you know, we go, would you just accept Jesus? Would you just accept him, please? Just accept him. Would be to God that sinners would say, Christ, accept me. [06:15:19]

And if all I was going to talk to you about this morning is the blessings of God without the conditions of God, I would be like a surgeon who's giving me wrong information. There's no different. Why are there malpractice suits when a physician messes up, but there's no malpractice suits when a pastor only tells you one section of God's Word in order to please you? [13:46:09]

And this was again with me a puppy recon test this morning, but that's okay. Moreover, brethren, so he just talked about discipline. I do not want you to be unaware that all of our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the spiritual drink. [15:58:70]

But with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. So they went from deliverance to disobedience. Here's where we have to be careful. I've found often when God delivers you, be careful, be very careful, because the enemy ramps up his attack, and you can go from deliverance to disobedience very quickly. [19:37:10]

And the number two sexual immorality, you know, let me just, I've been wanting to say this for 10 minutes, let me just say it. If for some reason you don't like what I've been saying this far, you're upset at this, I challenge you, I beg you to take it to God, because so many people run from conviction when they should be running to it. [33:07:40]

And the number three, of course, for many people, some even here today, salvation is waiting. Is that interesting? With salvation, it is waiting. I'm gonna read from the NLT. I normally don't do that. It's more of a commentary, but they know that they nail that the nail on the head with this. Second Peter 3:9, the Lord isn't being slow about his promise as some people think. [45:48:64]

The filling of the Holy Spirit is often just one step away—what's that step? From disobedience to obedience. The filling of the Spirit, if you seek me, you will find me. Paul said, be filled with the Holy Spirit. That's an active tense there of a verb, meaning crying out to God, seeking God, being filled with God's Spirit. [45:12:31]

And I told you this earlier, overeating and indulging is often linked with sin. It's throughout the Bible. Why is that? Because when I lose control on my bodily appetites, it will govern other areas of my life. It all filters in. You don't see anybody self-discipline in a certain area, I mean, giving into a certain area and self-discipline in other areas. [32:83:71]

And then three, tempted, I'm sorry, tested Christ. They tested Christ. What does that mean to tempt Christ, to tempt him? Remember when you're a little kid, you ever play that na na na, you can't catch me, tempting, you know, they tempted him, they tested him. How do we do that today? Well, we must guard our tongue, guard our tongue. [38:96:98]

And the number two, sexual immorality, Proverbs 5:3 reminds us this, that the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. Remember, remember to eat this if you want to, if you have Twitter or Facebook or even Snapchat, this one sin fascinates before it assassinates. Sin always fascinates before it assassinates. [34:49:50]

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